By removing large trees that soak up moisture, clear-cutting can let more groundwater percolate deep underground, where it can lubricate the unstable glacial soils of deep-seated landslide zones.

The Washington Forest Law Center welcomed Goldmark's announcement. But the environmental group said the government lacks standards for defining deep-seated landslide zones or other geological hazards.

"His promises to do more intensive screening for high hazard areas mean nothing unless they are accompanied by rule[s] clearly setting forth where and what these areas are," said Washington Forest Law Center director Peter Goldman in an email.

No geotechnical studies were done for the 2004 clear-cut straddling the edge of the Oso landslide zone.

In 2004, before Goldmark was elected lands commissioner, the Department of Natural Resources relied on outdated scientific information that indicated the proposed clear-cut above Oso was outside the zone where logging might help trigger a landslide.